What are Vaccines?

Vaccines are biological preparations that contain dead or attenuated microorganisms and they confer immunity against the disease caused by that microorganism.

When a person receives a vaccine, because the pathogen (disease causing microorganism) has been killed, it cannot cause any disease, the body’s immune systems will recognise the pathogen, produce antibodies to fight against this pathogen and thereby strengthen the body’s ability to fight the pathogen if it subsequently enters the body.

In other words, vaccines expose people safely to germs, so that they can become protected from a disease but not come down with the disease.